Knob cutter



Aug. 6, 1929.

KNOB CUTTER Filed May 1, 192e i i 7 i N d W w ATTORNEY `Aug. 6, 1929. E. M. KARR ET AL KNB'GUTTEB Filed May 1, 1926 l v 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST M. KARR AND JOSEPH A. BOUCHER, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS '10 GIFFORD-WOOD COMPANY, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

KNOB CUTTER.

Application filed May 1, 1926.

This invention relates to a knob cutter adapted to be used in connection with ice handling machinery. According to the mot-hod now in use in many modern ice manufacturing plants, the cans in which the ice is formed always remain in the brine and the ice is pulled upnvardly out of the can by means of a hook or an eye which is frozen into 'the top of the cake.

llfith ice manufactured by this process there is a knob four or five inches in width and two inches or more in thickness formed on the bottoni of the ice cake, which is caused by a flange or recess in the bottoni ofthe can, this recess being used in .filling the cans with water introduced through the bottoni.

The general object of the present invention is to provide means for removing this knob while the cakes of ice are being conveyed from the freezing tank to the storage rooiu or delivery platform. According to the pre ferred method cakes of ice are lifted from the tanks by means of a crane which engages the hook or eye above referred to, and are then placed on end on a. double conveyor, the knob being allowed to project downwardly be tween the two sides of the conveyor.

The present application is in part a con tinuation of an earlier application, Serial No. fill-.01.0, filed by us, July 16,1925.

The speci tic construction of the knob cutter embodying our invention, its mode of operation, and the advantages resulting therefrom will be more fully explained in the following detailed description which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings illu stratin g the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the knob cutter .L0 and a portion of the conveyor and floor adjacent thereto, certain parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the knob cutter showing also a portion oi the conveyor and cakes of ice carried thereby;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; y i

Figure 4t is a front elevation o f one of the severing devices enlarged, with a portion thereof shown in section; 1

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through one of the cutter blocks;

Figure G is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing a modified construction;

Serial No. 106,140.

i els in a channel formed in the floor 11, the surfaceof the conveyor heilig slightly below the levelof the floor. The illustrative conveyor comprises two spaced. traveling members, each having a plurality of heavy slats 12 secured to angle irons 13 supported by a link belt 14 having rollers 15 which travel. on tracks 16 secured to girders 17 located beneath the floor. The slats 12 during their travel are held in substantially horizontal position by guides 1S and 19.

As above stated, each cake of ice 10 as it frozen has a knob 10*l left on the bottom and as the cake of ice is lifted from the can and placed upon the conveyor, this knob projects downwardly between the two series of slats 12 forming the supporting surface of the conveyor. By means of the in vention herein described, this knob is entirely removed from the bottom face of the cake as the latter is being carried on the conveyor to the storage room or delivery platform. It will be clear that while the removal of a knob from the bottom face of the cake is much to be preferred, it is within thescope of the present invention to ren'lovc a knob fronti an ice cake supported on other faces besides the one from which the knob projects.

For supporting the knob severing devices,

as shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, in a position to eii'ect the desired result, a series ot bars il() are secured in iixed relation to the tracks 16 by means of angle irons 2l or the like. These bars are arranged diagonally (Fig. 1) and traverse the space between the two sides of the conveyor and some distance below the surface thereof.

A base block 22 is secured to each bar 2O an'dabove each base block is secured a holder 23. Each holder has a series of holes let extending longitudinally therethrough and inclined rearwardly and upwardly relative to the conveyor. The upper side of each hole 24 is rounded to forni a seat for the rear portion of an ice pick 25, and the lower portion ofthe hole is flat and tapered rearucirdly to receive a wedge 26 forisecurely fastening the pick in the desired position. Each piek therefore is secured so that it extends rearwardly and upwardly into the path of the knob lOfl as the cake of ice is carried forwardly by the conveyor. Each pick terminates in a sharp tempered joint 27. Each successive base block 22 is somewhat thicker than the preceding base block so that the series of severing elements comprising the picks 25 are arranged in successively higher planes (Fig. 2). lSo that each successive group of severing element chips a small amount of ice from the knob until the latter is completely removed without injury to the ice cake.

The foremost base block 28 is preferably formed with a flat inclined upper surface and a flat cutting blade 29 is secured thereto having a tempered beveled edge which is disposed substantially in the same plane as the upper surfaces of the slats l2 so that the bottom face of the ice cake is finally left perfectly plane. It will be noted that the holders in which the picks are secured are in a diagonal position so that no two picks enter the iceat the same time.- This feature, of course, minimizes the possibility of the picks retarding the movement of the ice as it is carried along by the conveyor'.

" In the. form shown in Figures 6. T and S, conveyor members 30 are supported by roll- .ers 31, which are adapted to ride on tracks formed by angle bars 32, supported by a suitable steel framework 33 beneath the floor 1l. Bearings 34 are secured to the undersides of certain of the angle bars 32, and rotatably support a cutter shaft 35 which is driven from a suitable motor 36 supported. on a platform 37 beneath the iioor. A cutter head 38 is secured to the shaft 35, and is formed with flat faces 39 forming seats for cutter blades 40. These bladesY are secured by bolts 41, which may be inserted in longitudinal slots 42 in the cutter head, the blades being provided With slots 43 for receiving the bolts. The cutter head 33 is adapted to be rotated Y rapidly by the motor 36, so that as the block ofice is carried along by the conveyor elements 30 with the knob l0a projecting downwardly into the path of the cutting blades 40, the latter will shave ott successive slices from the knob until the latter is completely removed, leaving the bottom face of the ice cake perfectly plane.

The severing devices 25 and 29 or 40, as thecase may be, are so arranged that the knobs are removed by successive cuts during the normal conveyance of the ice from the tank to the storage room or point of delivery, so that no extra handling is necessary. The

. block of ice remains in the same relative position as it occupies when in the can, with Vthe knob projecting from j the bottom end until itis severed therefrom. j

Obviously the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used eonjointly, since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A device for removing a. knob 'from the bottom face of a cake ot ice, comlirising two spaced conveyor members having slats on which the cake is supported with the knob projecting downwardly7 between said convcyer members, a roller mounted ou the uudcrside of each slat centrally thcreot` parallel tracks on which the rollers ride, a guide underneath each side of cach conveyor member for supporting and guiding all of said slats in a common plane during their torward travel, and severing devices between the conveyer members and in the path o t the knob as the cake of ice is carried forwardly. said severing devices being operable to remove the knob during the transit of the cake, leaving a plane bottom surface.

2. A device for removing a knob from the lower face of a cake of ice, comprising two spaced traveling members adapted to support the cake with the knob projecting downwardly between said two members, and a succession of severing devices located in successively higher planes in the path ot said knob and operable to trim off successive portions of said knob during transit of the cake thereover, the last of said. severing devices being in the same plane as the upper surfaces of said traveling members, so that the cake has a plane bottom surface when it leaves the same.

3. A device for ren'ioving a knob from the lower face of a sake of ice, comprising two spaced traveling members adapted to support the cake with the knob projecting downwardly between said two members, and a. plurality of stationary severing devices located one behind the other between said two members, each succeeding severing device being in a higher plane than the one preceding, the last severing device being in substantially the same plane as the upper surfaces of the travelling members, so that the cake as it leaves the same has a plane bottom surface.

t. A device for removing a knob from the lower face of a cake of ice, comprising two spaced traveling members adapted to support the cake with the knob projecting downwardly between said two members, a succession of severing devices each comprising a series of picks inclined upwardly into the path of the knob, each succeeding series being higher than the preceding, and a final severing device comprising a blade supported with its edge in the salne plane as the upper surfaces of said traveling members.

5. A device for removing a knob from the lower face of a cake of ice. comprising two spaced traveling members adapted to support the cake with the knob projecting downwardly between said two members, a succession of severing devices each comprising a diagonally disposed block with a plurality of ice picks supported thereby and inclined upwardly into the path of said knob so that no two picks will be engaged by the ice at the saine time, each succeeding severing device being higher than the preceding, and a final severing device i'zomprising a blade supported with. its edge in the saine plane as the upper surfaces of said traveling members.

6. An ice cutting device for acting on the lower tace oit' an ice block comprising, in combination, a series of stationary blocks araiiged one behind the other, each successive block having its upper face higher than the j nreceding, a series olif ice picks suiiported by each of said blocks, the points oi said picks being liigher than the upper surfaces oi the respective blocks, a iinal block7 and a blade secured to said iinal block and terminating in an edge which is slightly higher than the points of the last series of picks; and means ior moving blocks of ice over said cutting device.

7. An ice cutting device for acting on the lower face of an ice block comprising, in com bination, a series of stationary blocks arranged one behind the other, a holder secured to the upper tace oi' each block, a series of picks secured in each holder and extendingl forwardly and upwardly, each holder being disposed diagonally whereby the picks secured thereto are arranged one in advance of the other, and each successive block having its upper iface higher than the preceding so that the picks supported thereby project higher than the picks oi the preceding block; and means for moving blocks of ice over said cutting device.

8. An ice cutting device for acting on the lower face of an ice block comprising, in combination, a series of stationary blocks arranged one behind the other, a holder supported by each block and having a series of picks extending iorwardlyand upwardly therefrom, each holder being disposed diagonally whereby the picks carried thereby are arranged one in advance of the other, each successive block having its upper face higher than the preceding so that the picks supported therebyl project higher than the picks supported by the preceding block, a final block in rear oi' the aforenientioned blocks, and a blade secured to said linal `block and termi nating in an edge which is slightly higher than the points oi' the last series olf picks; and means for moving blocks of ice over said cutting device. A

9. 1n al device :for removing a knob from the lower if'ace oi? a cake of ice, a conveyor adapted to support the cake with the knob jn'ojecting downwardly, and a succession of severin devices located in successively higher planes in the path of said knob and oj'ierable to trini oilI successive portions oit' said knob during transit of the cake so that the cake has a plane bottom surface when it leaves the conveyor.

l0. A device for removing the knob formed on a cake of artificial ice during its manufacture, cinnprising means for supporting and conveying the cake with the knob projecting down vardly therefrom, and means below the surface of the conveyor for severing successive portions oit the knob, while the cake is so conveyed, until all oi.' the knob is removed, leaving the bottom face oil said cake plane.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto ailixed our signa tures.

ERNEST M. KARR. JOSEPH A. BOUCHER. 

